It's possible, according to the researchers, that this potential benefit stems from lower blood sugar levels. In women with insulin resistance, a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet can cause a particularly high surge in levels of insulin, a hormone that processes blood sugar. And some research suggests that chronically elevated insulin levels can feed breast tumor growth.

The study findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, are at odds with some earlier studies that have linked high fat intake to a higher breast cancer risk.

However, other studies, like the current one, have failed to find a relationship between overall fat intake and breast cancer. Some research has suggested that certain healthy fats -- like the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish -- might lower a woman's risk of the disease.

"The take-home message for postmenopausal women is that limiting dietary fat is unlikely to reduce their risk for breast cancer," lead study author Dr. Esther H. J. Kim told Reuters Health.

It's unclear whether the findings pertain to younger women as well. Kim pointed out that some past studies have found a link between animal fat intake and higher breast cancer risk before menopause.

She and her colleagues based their findings on data from the Nurses' Health Study, which has followed thousands of U.S. women since 1976. The 80,375 women included in this analysis completed dietary questionnaires in 1980 and every two years thereafter; their breast cancer incidence was tracked through 2000.

When the researchers considered a range of other factors -- like age, weight changes over time, and family history of breast cancer -- they found that dietary fat had no significant effect on breast cancer risk.

"However," Kim said, "women should not feel this is a free pass to eat as much fat as they want."

For the sake of their hearts, she explained, women should limit saturated fats from meat and dairy products, as well as "trans" fats found in many commercial baked and fried foods.

In general, experts recommend a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fiber and "good" unsaturated fats, like those in olive oil, nuts and fish. For women with insulin resistance, Kim noted, it's particularly important to have a moderate intake of good fats and to opt for fiber-rich foods over highly processed carbohydrates like white bread and sugary cereals.

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, November 15, 2006.

Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Marital woes can hinder good parenting

Last Updated: 2006-11-24 13:00:47 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Couples who find themselves in constant conflict may be unable to give their young children the emotional support they need, a new study suggests.

Among the consequences for children, researchers found, are anxiety, withdrawal and problems at school.

Many studies have shown that parental conflict can be psychologically damaging to children. But the new findings point more precisely to how the damage can occur -- and show that it's not only angry, hostile exchanges that harm families.

Indeed, the study found, parents who dealt with differences by giving each other the "silent treatment" or some other icy, if not openly hostile, attitude were more likely than other parents to become emotionally withdrawn from their young children.

This in turn affected their children's psychological well-being and adjustment at school, the study authors report in the journal Child Development.

"A lot of parents may feel that it's better to just not fight at all and may sweep problems under the rug," noted lead author Dr. Melissa Sturge-Apple of the University of Rochester in New York.

"However," she told Reuters Health, "this kind of withdrawal and disengagement may have negative repercussions for parenting and for children."

The findings are based on a three-year study of 212 families with a child who was 6 years old at the outset. At the start of the study, the researchers observed couples as they discussed a "problem" issue within their marriage. They rated the couples' interactions -- whether they were hostile or withdrawn, for example -- and asked them how closely the discussion reflected a typical one at home.

Parents were also observed while playing and interacting with their children, both at the start of the study and again one year later. Parents and teachers also completed questionnaires on the children's psychological well-being during the second and third year of the study.

Overall, the researchers found, mothers who were in a hostile or emotionally withdrawn relationship were less likely than other mothers to have warm, loving interactions with their children. The same was true of fathers who were in an emotionally withdrawn marriage.

Among the consequences for their children was trouble adjusting at school -- including problems getting along with their classmates and difficulty with school work.

Interestingly, Sturge-Apple noted, fathers' "emotional unavailability" seemed to have particularly broad effects on their children -- being related not only to poorer school adjustment, but also to higher anxiety levels and greater behavioral problems.

Why this may be the case is unclear, according to the researchers.

"I think one of the main take-home messages from the study is that different kinds of conflict can have distinct meanings for the family system and for children," Sturge-Apple said.

Parents, according to the researcher, should be aware that the various ways in which they argue -- not just in anger, but also in cold, withdrawn ways -- can have important effects on their children.

SOURCE: Child Development, November/December 2006.

Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.